Tensioned pop-up gift card holder

ABSTRACT

A gift card holder having pop-up elements and that is held under tension so that the holder moves from a folded state to an opened state primarily under integrated holder mechanical power.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the prior filed, co-pending provisional application Serial No. 61/411,921, filed Nov. 10, 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to gift card holders and more particularly to a device for holding a gift card while providing graphical and mechanical enhancements to entertain the gift card recipient and add value to the gift, namely a gift card holder with pop-up elements that is held under tension so that it moves from a folded state to an opened state primarily under integrated mechanical power versus user manipulation.

Transaction cards, stored value cards, or gift cards, as they are commonly called based upon their intended use, have become popular gifts. Gift cards typically comprise a stored value card whereby a certain cash equivalent value is encoded upon a magnetic strip applied to the surface of the card. This stored value may be determined by the vendor prior to packaging and display for sale or, more commonly, is selected at the point of sale by the purchaser and loaded by the cashier using a magnetic card reader/writer. While popular, gift cards are typically provided with a generic and impersonal design, typically identifying the associated merchant for which the card may be used to purchase merchandise, and therefore are not personalized in view of the intended recipient.

What is needed, therefore, is a gift card holder that provides graphical and mechanical enhancements to entertain the gift card recipient and add value to the gift. What is also needed is a gift card holder that presents a gift card to a recipient through mechanical linkage with pop-up elements that are held under tension until such tension is released at which point mechanical power provided by the tension causes the holder and pop-up elements to open and assume a display configuration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of this invention is to provide a holder for receiving and holding a gift card. The gift card holder provides graphical and mechanical enhancements to entertain the gift card recipient and add value to the gift. The gift card holder presents a gift card to a recipient through mechanical linkage with a tensioning device that biases the holder in an open display disposition so that the holder expands or opens to such disposition when unconstrained.

An embodiment of a holder may include a main body having four adjoining, generally rectangular walls surrounding an interior space. A plurality of pop-up elements is typically secured to the holder within the interior space. An elastic member is attached at a first end within the interior space to a first corner formed by a first wall and an adjoining second wall. The elastic member is attached at a second end within the interior space to a second corner formed by a third wall and an adjoining fourth wall. Tension applied by the elastic member draws the first corner and second corner toward one another, thereby opening the holder.

Other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example an embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a tensioned pop-up gift card holder showing the holder in an opened display configuration.

FIG. 2 is a top view showing the holder in a partially opened configuration.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the holder.

FIG. 4 is a right side view of the holder.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the holder showing the tensioning apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.

With reference to the figures, FIGS. 1 through 5 illustrate an embodiment of a tensioned pop-up gift card holder 100. The holder 100 comprises a main body 105, which generally comprises four outer walls 110 a, 110 b, 110 c, 110 d (referred to collectively by reference numeral 110) surrounding an interior space 115. The main body 105 is rectangular (typically substantially square) in cross section. Various pop-up elements 101 may be fastened within the interior space, typically by inserting tabs projecting from an element into slots provided in internal main body structures, such as the walls 110 or associated structures.

The four outer walls 110 are typically partially separated from one another by slits 107 running from the top edge of the main body 105 to a distance approximately one third to two thirds of the total distance from the top edge to the bottom edge of the main body 105. These upper portions 111 a, 111 b, 111 c, 111 d (referred to collectively by reference numeral 111) of the four walls 110 fold outward along hinge lines 125 when the holder is in an opened disposition as shown in the figures. Upper portion 11 lb includes a slot 120 for receiving and holding a gift card within the holder 100.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a tensioned pop-up gift card holder 100 showing the holder 100 in an opened display configuration, which displays the structural and graphical elements of the pop-up elements 101 and presents the gift card to the recipient in a pleasing and novel manner. When folded, the holder 100 is folded about axis A (shown in FIG. 2) by pressing the main body 105 inward and in the direction of arrows B. FIG. 2 is a top view of the holder 100 showing the holder 100 in a partially opened configuration as when being opened or closed.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the holder 100 in a substantially open disposition. As can be seen, an upper portion 111 a of outer wall 110 a bends outward along fold line 125 a. FIG. 4 is a right side view of the holder 100 in a substantially open disposition. As can be seen, an upper portion 111 b of outer wall 110 b bends outward along fold line 125 b. Outer walls 110 c and 110 d remain in a relatively upright disposition, although deflected slightly outward.

Within the interior space 115, as shown in FIG. 5, a first septum 130 projects downward and across the interior space 115 from the confluence of walls 110 a and 110 b to meet a second septum 135 projecting upward from the confluence of walls 110 c and 110 d. An elastic member 140 such as a rubber band is attached at one end to one or more points proximate to the confluence of walls 110 a and 110 b, and at the other end to one or more points proximate to the confluence of walls 110 c and 110 d. Therefore, both septa 130 and 135 and the elastic member 140 cross the interior space 115 diagonally from opposing corners 150 c and 150 d. When the holder 100 is in an open disposition for presentation of the pop-up elements 101 and gift card, as shown in FIG. 5, the tension created by the elastic member 140 draws the first septum 130 toward the second septum 135 so that they abut at gap 145. Although not shown, the holder 100 may be placed in folded disposition by squeezing corners 150 a and 150 b toward one another in the directions of arrows B, thus drawing septa 130 and 135 apart and increasing tension in the elastic member 140. When corners 150 a and 150 b have been brought together in close proximity, the holder 100 will attain a relatively flat disposition and may be inserted into a sleeve or envelope for mailing or presentation to a gift recipient. When the holder 100 is drawn from its enclosure, tension in the elastic member 140 will draw corners 150 c and 150 d together and 150 a and 150 b apart, generally in a fairly rapid fashion. The holder 100 will thereby quickly, and without the direct manipulation of the user, attain the open presentation disposition shown in FIG. 1.

Note that drawings are not to scale or to relative scale but are representative of aspects of one or more embodiments of the present invention. 

1. A gift card holder comprising: a main body having four adjoining, generally rectangular walls surrounding an interior space, a plurality of pop-up elements secured to said holder within said interior space, an elastic member attached at a first end to a first corner formed by a first wall and a second wall, said first wall and said second wall adjoining one another, said elastic member attached at a second end to a second corner formed by a third wall and a fourth wall, said third wall and said fourth wall adjoining one another, whereby tension applied by said elastic member draws said first corner and said second corner toward one another, thereby opening said holder. 